What do we mean when we say compostable?

Our Eco Coffee Pods are 100% industrially compostable.



Why is composting important?

Composting food waste and biodegradable materials, as opposed to leaving them in landfill, is the most environment sustainable solution to waste disposal. Composting crucially reduces the amount of potent methane gas that is released into the atmosphere and toxic residue in the ground, as well as producing nitrogen-rich natural fertilisers as a by-product.

If you see the term 'compostable' on packaging this means that the materials have been certified to break down completely into non-toxic components (water, carbon dioxide, and biomass) given the right conditions.

What are Volcano's Eco Coffee pods made of?

The capsules, lids and bag packaging we use are made from a plant-based cornstarch material - a compostable alternative to plastic and aluminium packaging.

By sealing our coffee in these cornstarch capsules and bags we can guarantee that our Eco Coffee Pods have up to a 12 month shelf life, with the exceptional quality of the coffee inside preserved until you want to brew a cup. 

Cornstarch is a completely renewable resource which releases significantly less environmentally harmful byproducts during production than aluminium or plastic pods packaging. After use, this material can be industrially composted along with your food waste.

What does 'industrially compostable' mean?

The conditions that are created in industrial composting plants balance levels of microbes, moisture and warmth that are perfect for breaking food waste and biodegradable packaging into water, carbon dioxide and biomass. This biomass is distributed to farmers to use as a high-quality, nitrogen-rich fertiliser.

Why can't I compost them at home? 

Not all compostable materials are suitable for composting at home.

In order to preserve the great taste of our coffee and guarantee their long shelf life we need to ensure the materials we use won't break down prematurely. Cornstarch material may be fully plant-derived and fully compostable, but requires a higher level of heat, water, oxygen and micro-organisms to break down completely than can be created in a home composting system

Is composting better than recycling?

We think so! Did you know that the UK exports some 66% of its plastic for recycling, with no idea if it actually gets recycled?

Food contamination is an additional inevitable problem with recycling your coffee pods. For disposables designed for storing food, it makes sense to use materials that can be composted together with food, like in industrial composting.

More and more local authorities in the UK are improving their composting schemes to recycle food waste and plant-based packaging materials. However there are still some differences between what you can dispose of in different local council areas, so please check local composting rules before disposing of any compostable materials.

Tagged with: New Products

Older Post Newer Post

Shop now

Discover our products

Ground Coffee

Shop Now

Coffee Beans

Shop Now

Coffee Subscriptions

Shop Now

Accessories, Gifts and Staples

Shop Now